Technics SP 15 SP 25

Dear @cjaronica: You can make your own findings here:

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/technics/sp15.shtml

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/technics/sp25.shtml

R.

Then you have to buy SP-20 too, it's the rarest. 
Owned a few and enjoyed them, love that black finishing

Me to!

I’ve owned an SP-25 with the factory base for 30 years. 
Still performing flawlessly. 

I also own both, and while the SP-15 is audibly better, it also has more tweaky electronics. Mine still works fine, but many don't. A fully functioning SP-25 is better than a dodgy SP-15. Totally convenient they fit in the same plinth.

Armstrong, have you recapped your SP 15? There really is no reason for it to be dodgy. It is not in the nature of a technics turntable to be dodgy. However turntables with 30 or 40-year-old capacitors inside can be dodgy.

Armstrod sorry about autocorrect error in your name.

Vintage equipment can be a risk but it is fun and satisfying to bring it back to life.

Technics is a less problematic turntable than many other vintage rurntables, personally i use ONLY vintage turntables and never had a problem with any of them (except for the Victor TT-101). 

My friends using my ex Technics SP-20s from 1976 and both works fine and never serviced, one of them was NOS, anothe one used. 

 

I've read the SP-25 is essentially a SL-1200 as a stand alone motor unit, that is no included plinth or arm.  If so, that suggests parts are more readily available.  It also suggests it is a step lower in performance than the SP-15.

I expect either one can be musically satisfying.  Also, the replaced electrolytic cap advice applies to both, given their age.

Lewm, my SP-15 works perfectly and I believe it's stock, but I saw many malfunctioning units before I bought mine. I wouldn't hesitate to recap if that changed in the future.

And my name really is Armstrong, so good call.   :-)

Here is more infor about SP-20 and you can compare with SP-15 and SP-25 hopefully 

*TECHNICS SP20 /  PRICE: 60,000 Yen (1976）

"And high performance at that take advantage of the development know-how of the SP-10mkII, Quartz phase-locked control DD turntable. Starting torque 1.5kg · cm, a large turntable of its own weight 2.5kg (inertial mass 345kg · cm2), and to rotate at a constant speed in a quarter rotation from the start. Due to the large starting torque and powerful magnetic circuit, there is no change in the rotational speed using 150 pieces of the tone arm of the needle pressure 2g. In addition, it is also possible to use a cleaner during a performance. With pure electronic brake to provide users with a smooth stop of the turntable. It has adopted a strobe LED illumination by fringes of Article a row. Finish and has prevented the surface change and wrinkle finish was special surface treatment of the aluminum die-casting."


Driving System : Servo Controlled Direct Drive

Speed : 33-1/3 and 45 rpm

Platter : Aluminum diecast 32cm, weight 2.5 kg.

Starting torque Characteristic : 1.5kg × cm // Less than 0.7 （90゜） second to reach normal speed (33-1/3 rpm).

Load fluctuation : 1.5kg x cm within 0％

Rotation speed deviation :  ±0.002％

Wow & Flutter : Less than 0.025%（JIS C5521）wrms.

S/N Ratio :  60dB（IEC17B） // 73dB（DIN45539B）

Power Consumption : 4W

Inertial mass :  345k × cm2

Outline Dimensions : 368.5 × 99 × 368.5mm

Weight : 8.0kg